By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office

Photo:  A trio of hungry ticks, waiting for a meal to walk by.

Source: County News Service

September 9, 2019 (San Diego) -- The County Board of Supervisors will hold its next 12 board meetings at the County Operations Center in Kearny Mesa starting September 10th while the downtown chamber undergoes renovation. 

By Miriam Raftery

September 9, 2019 (Washington D.C.) -- With 450 cases of severe lung illness and five deaths tied to vaping reported nationwide, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control are advising everyone to avoid all vaping (e-cigarettes)– especially young people and pregnant women. The advisory includes all vaping including nicotine, marijuana, and other substances.

By Miriam Raftery

September 6, 2019 (Ramona) --- After Virulent Newcastle Disease (VND) was detected in Ramona last week and the area placed under a regional quarantine, the California Dept. of Food and Agriculture has announced that it will hold a town hall at the Ramona branch library on Monday, Sept. 9 at 6:30 p.m. 

Bird owners are invited to come learn more about the disease, how to proptect your birds, methods to clean your property,  status of the outbreak, and what to expect in recovery.

By Miriam Raftery

September 8, 2019 (Julian) -- A long-vacant lot in the heart of downtown Julian may soon become a town square with an amphitheater and community park to serve as a hub for community gatherings, holiday events, a farmer’s market, art walk and more. Over $182,000 -- nearly a third of the $600,000 funds needed--have been pledged, according to the Julian Town Square website.

By Liz Alper

Photo via @Padres on Twitter

September 7, 2019 (San Diego) - The Padres are back home taking on the Rockies.  Jeff Hoffman started for the Rockies against Joey Lucchesi.

By Miriam Raftery

September 7, 2019 (Ramona) – A state investigation has determined that infected birds moved from within the virulent Newcastle disease (VND) quarantine area in Riverside County led to the recent detection of the disease in the Ramona area, Dr. Annette Jones, California’s state veterinarian, announced yesterday.

By Miriam Raftery

September 6, 2019 (San Diego’s East County) – It’s been a wet and wild week, with dramatic lightning strikes, thunderstorms and hail the size of quarters reported in some parts of San Diego’s East County.  On September 4, the National Weather Service recorded 396 cloud-to-ground lightning strikes in a single day.

Source:  Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District

September 6, 2019 (Rancho San Diego) - The ECHO Chamber Music Series, now in its third year, is taking its 2019-2020 season at Cuyamaca College’s Samuel M. Ciccati Performing Arts Theatre to new heights with 14 concerts featuring performers such as Jason Vieaux, Bach Collegium, the Dalí Quartet, and members of the San Diego Symphony and other internationally acclaimed musicians who have performed across the globe.

By Miriam Raftery

September 6, 2019 (Ramona) – The Oasis Camel Dairy in Ramona is opening its farm store on Sept. 7, 8, 14, 15, 28 and 29 as well as Oct. 5, 6, 12, 13, 20, 26 and 27. Besides shopping for products such as camel milk bath bombs and lotions, you can now relax with country views while sampling 11 varieties of camel milk chocolate by Al Nassma including dark, milk, orange, sweet-spice, date and white chocolate varieties, along with non-alcoholic beverages and snacks.

East County News Service

Photo: Vegan burger, courtesy of Grossmont Center

September 6, 2019 (La Mesa) – You’re invited to taste how delicious a vegan lifestyle can be at the First Friday Night Market at Grossmont Center on Friday, October 4 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sponsored by Vegan San Diego, this free event gathers the most exceptional vegan vendors all in one spot so that you can savor and sip delectable plant-based food and beverages.

By Miriam Raftery, Editor, East County Magazine

I fought a case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court to protect the rights of freelance journalists.  AB 5 takes that away – and hurts the public by restricting your voices from being heard in local media. 

Note: I grant free reprint rights on this editorial to any publisher who wishes to repost it in its entirety.

September 6, 2019 (San Diego’s East County) – A bill to be heard any day now in the  State Senate and then head to the Governor for signature will destroy a free press in California – and we need your help to protect the public’s voices in out media outlet and others. The bill violates the U.S. constitution on multiple grounds.

AB 5 would prohibit media outlets such as ours from paying ordinary citizens to write articles on areas in which they have expertise, or hiring columnists who aren’t professional journalists, or even paying an eyewitness for photos of breaking news such as a wildfire or plane crash. A newspaper also won’t be allowed to pay for a column or editorial  unless the writer owns a journalism business or is an employee.

We've trained many citizen journalists here at East County Magazine -- including some who won journalism awards. We've run many paid pieces written by community members, too, to include a broad diversity of voices. But we won't be able to do so anymore if this becomes law.

This violates the First Amendment of the Constitution which guarantees freedom of the press and your freedom of speech.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Tenaja Fire, Southern Calif. Edison webcam

September 5, 2019 (Riverside County) – The fast-moving Tenaja Fire that started just before 4 p.m. yesterday near Tenaja Rd. and Clinton Keith Road in south Riverside County’s La Cresta community has swelled to over 2,000 acres, causing mandatory evacuation of around 2,000 homes in La Cresta and Murrieta, KTLA reports this evening. 

By Miriam Raftery

September 5, 2019 (El Cajon) -- The Magnolia Center, formerly known as the East County Performing Arts Center, will host its much anticipated grand reopening on September 10^th from 5 to 8 p.m. The City of El Cajon and Live Nation invite the public to the event which includes food, fun, activities, prizes, tours, presentations.